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Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson slams Lib Dem minister fo

East Sefton's Labour MP Bill Esterson has slammed a Lib Dem Government Minister for Failing to protect Green Belt land in Maghull, Lydiate and Aintree.

Bill Esterson, the Labour MP, who represents East Sefton has written to Lib Dem Local Government Minister Andrew Stunnell, accusing him of putting top quality farmland at risk of development by failing to put vital safeguards into new planning rules which are being brought in by the Lib Dems and their Tory allies across Sefton.

The new rules give a "presumption in favour of development" and Bill Esterson has been approached by a number of people in Maghull, Lydiate, Aintree and Melling who have told him that developers have bought Green Belt land and who are waiting for Lib Dem minister, Andrew Stunnell to give the green light or them to start building.

Bill Esterson said: "The Lib Dems have claimed they are against development. They claim they want to protect the Green Belt in East Sefton. But Andrew Stunnell is the government minister who is in charge of new planning rules that will let developers build on farm land in Lydiate, Maghull, Aintree and Melling.

"Mr Stunnell is a Lib-Dem and he is giving developers the green light to build in the Green Belt."

Bill is demanding that the government allows Sefton Council to include the borough's empty properties in its housing figure - something which the Tories and Lib Dems are blocking.

Bill said: "I asked Mr Stunnell to help councils bring empty homes back into use. Sefton has 6,000 empty homes. But the council is not allowed to include any of those properties in its figures for housing.

"We need affordable homes in East Sefton but the Lib Dems are making it very difficult for the council to do its bit and are threatening the Green Belt by letting developers run riot.

"Residents tell me that they are very worried at the prospect of building in the Green Belt. People in Lydiate tell me that some of the councillors there still want a marina built, which would set a dangerous precedent to building in our countryside and would of course open the floodgate to building on the greenbelt.

"I have written to Mr Stunnell and the Lib Dems, urging them to think again.

"I will continue to fight plans by the Lib Dems and their Tory friends to build on Green Belt whether that's government ministers like Andrew Stunnell or local Lib Dem councillors who still want a marina in Lydiate."